Search

News

World T20, WI vs Ire: As it happened

The match has been called off due to rain. Ireland go out as the Caribbean team makes it to the Super Eight stage on account of a better net run-rate.

Ireland innings:

10.30 pm: It's official now. The match has been called off. The Windies couldn't start their pursuit of 130 runs because of heavy rains. However, they move into the Super Eight stage on account of a better net run-rate. It's exit for the Irish team. What a sad end to their campaign! That's it from me. Will be back with the Bangladesh-Pakistan tie tomorrow at 7.30 pm IST. Till then, goodbye.

10.20 pm: It's still raining. Now the match runs the risk of being called off. If it does come to that pass, it will be really sad. In that case West Indies will advance to the Super Eight stage.

9.50 pm: Talk of the devil...guys, it's raining again. As I said earlier it could make it a bit harder for the Caribbean team. It's the last thing they would have wanted. The whole ground is swathed in covers. Not a pretty sight.

19th over: Ireland 129 for 6 Ravi Rampaul to bowl the last over. Bowls a great over. Just seven runs off the it. Not the way the Irish team would have wanted to finish off their innings. The total does not look threatening enough. Though, another rain can make it a bit harder for the Caribbean team.

18th over: Ireland 122 for 6 Sunil Narine comes into bowl and Nigel Jones gets a huge six off the second ball, over mid-wicket. The biggest six of this match. It travelled 91 metres. And there is a no-ball and consequently a free-hit. Kieron Pollard takes a good catch off the next ball at long-on. What a waste.

17th over: Ireland 112 for 6 Ravi Rampaul and cleans up Kevin O'Brien, who moves over a bit too much on his off-stump and misses the line of the ball.

Kevin O'Brien b Rampaul 13 (15)

16th over: Ireland 107 for 5 Chris Gayle continues and cleans up Niall O'Brien off the first ball. The left-handed batsman yorked himself and loses his off-stump. Veteran Trent Johnston joins Kevin and hits a six off the last ball over mid-wicket. Easy.

Niall O'Brien b Gayle 25

15th over: Ireland 96 for 4 Fidel Edwards returns and bowls a very tight over until the last ball. Kevin O'Brien gets a six over long-on. Eight runs off the over.

14th over: Ireland 88 for 4 Chris Gayle continues. Bowls tight. The Irish team needs some big shots to inject life into their innings.

13th over: Ireland 81 for 4 Niall O'Brien fetches a six off the first ball. The ball was short and fast and he pulls it to get the maximum. Kevin O'Brien joins his brother at the crease. Remember, he is the guy who scored the match-winning hundred against England in the World Cup last year. He needs to hang in there. He is a key figure. 11 runs off the Andre Russell over.

12th over: Ireland 70 for 4 Chris Gayle comes into the attack. And he strikes off the fourth ball. It's pretty quick for a spinner. 125 kmph. Gary Wilson tries to cut as wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin takes a beautiful catch behind the wickets.

Gary Wilson c †Ramdin b Gayle 21 (22)

11th over: Ireland 65 for 3 Andre Russell comes into bowl. He has replaced Dwayne Smith for this match. Must be itching to make a good impression. A good over until the last ball... Gary Wilson goes inside out to fetch a four. Superb stuff. He looks pretty confident out there.

10th over: Ireland 57 for 3 Gary Wilson brings some cheer on the faces of Irish fans when he takes a four off Sunil Narine's fourth ball. Seven runs off the over.

8th over: Ireland 44 for 3 Sunil Narine bowls a quick over. Just two runs off it. Ireland in the soup as of now. They need a strong partnership against this Windies team that is replete with big-hitting players.

7th over: Ireland 42 for 3 Now Sterling depart. Tries to smash Darren Sammy out of the ground. His execution is poor as Chris Gayle takes a dolly at mid-wicket. Gary Wilson joins Niall O'Brien and opens his account with a boundary.

Paul Stirling c Gayle b Sammy 19 (16)

6th over: Ireland 35 for 2 The interruption puts Ed Joyce off his guard and Sunil Narine cleans him up off the third ball. You feel for the Irish team, don't you? Just two off the over. Niall O'Brien is off the mark off the last ball.

Ed Joyce b Narine 17 (19)

8.45 pm: The covers are off. It's now 19 overs a side.

8.20 pm: The rain is back and this time it's even harder. Now a big question mark hangs over the match. Sri Lanka is quite an unpredictable country as far as rain is concerned. In a few minutes, the ground has turned from bone dry to sodden.

8.10 pm: The good news is that the covers are being taken off. It shouldn't be long before play resumes. Great stuff by the groundsmen. The field seems as dry as they come.

5th over: Ireland 33 for 1 Captain Darren Sammy comes into the attack. And guess what? Paul Sterling gets two smashing boundaries. Both over the infield, on the offside. And rain stops play. And it's pretty hard and the covers are all over the field. In case the match does not see its completion, West Indies will advance to the next stage on account of a better net run rate.

4th over: Ireland 23 for 1 Rain has started to fall. The umpires decides to go ahead with the match and Joyce gets a four off the first ball. Cuts it nicely past the point fieldsman. Then takes two off the fourth. Overall, six off the Ravi Rampaul over.

3rd over: Ireland 17 for 1 Sterling gets his first boundary, off the second ball. An edgy pull over the keeper's head. A two comes off the fourth. Sterling lifts it over the infield on the offside. Seven off the Fidel Edwards over.

2nd over: Ireland 10 for 1 Ravi Rampaul to play second fiddle to Fidel Edwards. Paul Sterling gets a single off the first, opens his account. A strong appeal against Sterling off the fifth ball. There was some sound as the ball went past his bat. However, the umpire turned it down. Two singles in the over.

1st over: Ireland 8 for 1 What a start for West Indies. Fider Edwards comes up with a gem of a yorker to send the Irish captain back to the pavilion off the first ball. And then Ed Joyce gets two edgy boundaries off the over. Superb start.

William Porterfield b Edwards 0 (1b)

7.30 pm: Ireland openers William Porterfield and Paul Stirling have walked out to the middle. Fidel Edwards has the red cherry in his hand. An exciting battle in the offing.

7 pm: West Indies win toss, will bowl first. They go in with two changes: Dwayne Smith and Dwayne Bravo are out. They get replaced by Andre Russell and Darren Bravo. Also, one change for the Irish team: Boyd Rankin misses out and Max Sorensen comes as a replacement.

6.45 pm: Hello and welcome to the ICC World T20 Group B encounter between West Indies and Ireland at the Premadasa in Colombo. The Caribbean team will have to win today to advance to the Super Eight stage. So we can have the first upset of the tournament today. Ireland, as we know, are very much capable of pulling it off. Stay tuned in for more updates.